Social Media Startup Zeen Shuts Down After $9M Funding Stall

Social collaging platform Zeen is closing its doors and laying off its entire staff of dozens. The startup, which raised $9 million from investors, could not grow fast enough to survive in the crowded social media market.

Key Facts

• Cuts: 100% of workforce (dozens of employees).
• Funding: $9 million total raised before closure.
• Pivot: The app started as "Landing" before changing its name to Zeen.
• Source: NetInfluencer, Benzatine Infotech

The Funding Trap

Zeen’s co-founder, Miri Buckland, confirmed the news today. She said the company tried everything to stay alive but could not reach the size needed to keep investors happy. "If there was any other way to keep it going, we would've done that," Buckland said. The company had backing from big names like Cowboy Ventures and Stellation Capital. Even with that money, the business could not make enough profit to stay open.

From Social to Tools

The company did not start as Zeen. It began as "Landing," a social app for sharing digital collages. When that did not take off, they changed their plan. They rebranded to Zeen and focused on tools for online creators. The new goal was to help people make shoppable collages for newsletters. But this change was not enough. The team found it hard to compete against giants like Canva and other link-sharing tools.

Market Crunch

This shutdown shows how hard it is for new social apps right now. Investors are careful with their money. They want to see quick growth or big profits. Zeen fell into a difficult spot—it was useful for creators, but it did not have the massive user base of a major social network. With no new cash coming in, the founders had to make the "sad decision" to stop operations immediately.